Reminiscence
by ArchEinjhel
Summary: This story takes place three years after Rukia decides to stay in the Soul Society and finally makes her decision to go back to Ichigo because she can't bear to be away from him any more.
1. Rukia's Return

Epilogue 

"Are you sure this is what you wish?" A voice asked. "Yes. I have to go back. I have to see him again." A girl's voice answered in reply. "Ok, if you want to go back so badly, I won't stand in your way." The male's voice answered. "Thank you, Renji." The girl said in reply as she walked away.

Chapter 1: Rukia's Return

"Today has been very quiet. I kind of like it." Ichigo said.

"ICHIGOOOOOO!!!" A piercing voice yelled.

"Dammit, I knew it was too good to be true.

Damn that Orihime. I mean seriously, would it kill her to be a tad bit quieter when she yells? She could bust an eardrum like that!" Ichigo thought.

"Hey! Ichigo! What's up?" Orihime asked him.

"Hey Orihime..." Ichigo said as he looked down & noticed she had some bags.

"What do you have in those bags?" He asked her.

"Oh? These? I'm making dinner."

She told him. "Oh god, I wonder if it's edible or if she'll die on the spot."

He thought. "It has leeks, vanilla ice cream, olives, tomatoes, rice, and salmon." she told him.

"Yeah, she's gonna die on the spot."

He thought. "Uhh, yeah, I have to go now."

He told Orihime as he walked away. "Where are you going Ichigo?" she asked.

"I'm going to my happy place now get your shit and go. I'M GOING TO MY HOUSE! WHERE ELSE WOULD I BE GOING?!" he yelled.

"Can I come?" She asked hime.

"NO! GO HOME!" He yelled.

10 minutes later...

"Why do I have the feeling I'm being followed?" Ichigo thought and turned around.

"WHY ARE YOU STILL FOLLOWING ME ORIHIME?!" Ichigo yelled.

"Didn't you say I could come?" She said.

"I TOLD YOU NO! NOW GO HOME!" Ichigo yelled as his anger level rose. He started to walk again.

10 minutes later...

"Ok, I'm home Orihime. Go home & make your mutated food. I don't let she devils into my house." He told her. He walked into his house and closed the door behind him and walked into the kitchen when all of a sudden, he heard "I'm just a kid who's four, each day I grow some more I'm Cailou."

"Who the hell was watching PBS kids? Why does it smell like fish in here?" Ichigo asked himself." He walked up the stairs & the fish smell got stronger. He got to the source of the stench. He slowly opened the door & Kon started to play the Jaws theme. "Kon, we don't need the dramatic background music." Ichigo told him. "Fine then, I'll remember that next time you do need it!" Kon said as he walked off. He thrust open the door and saw Orihime, "ORIHIME! GET OUT!!!!" Ichigo yelled to her. "Fine then!" She said as she ran downstairs and closed the front door behind her. Ichigo flopped on his bed and closed his eyes. He started to smell the fish smell again. He opened his eyes and saw the groceries, but no Orihime! "DAMMIT! SHE LEFT HER CRAP HERE!!" Ichigo said. He got up and picked everything up and opened his window and threw it all out. He walked back to his bed and closed his eyes.

Meanwhile...

"There's his house, but why is there a fish smell?" A girl said. She looked up and all of Orihime's groceries fell on her head. "EWWW!!!" She said as the ice cream melted because she was getting so hot headed. "Just wait until I get to his room. I can't wait to give him a piece of my mind." She said as she climbed up the window.

5 minutes later...

"Why do I have the feeling I'm being watched?" Ichigo thought as he opened his eyes and saw a female, with long black hair, dark blue eyes, and wearing a white kimono with her long black hair tied back into a bun but with her swoop bang hanging out, about 5 centimeters away from his face. He jumped back. "GYA!!! WHO ARE YOU?!" Ichigo yelled. "You mean you don't recognize me?" The girl said as her eye twitched. "I know it's been three years, but the only thing different about me is that my hair's longer." She said. "Wait, I do recognize you. YOUR THE TOOTH FAIRY! YOU CHEATED ME OUT OF A DOLLAR!!!!" Ichigo yelled. The girl punched him in the head. "I'm Rukia idiot!" She said. "Oh!!! I knew that!" He said. "Sure you did." Rukia said. "But, how did you get here?" Ichigo asked. "You mean you don't remember?" Rukia asked. "Well... no." Ichigo said. "Fine, I shall draw a picture to explain it." She said as she pulled out a blackboard and started to draw a picture to explain everything.

1 minute later...

"Any questions?" Rukia asked. "Yeah, I have one: why do your drawings still suck?" Ichigo asked. "SHUT UP! THE QUALITY OF THE DRAWINGS DOESN'T MATTER!" Rukia yelled. "But seriously, my stick figures are better than that." He told Rukia. "Ignoring that comment, I want to ask you something Ichigo." Rukia told him. "Ok, what is it?" He said.

"Nevermind, It's not important."

"No, tell me."

"No, it's not important."

"Yes it is! Now tell me!"

"Just forget I said anything."

"No! I wanna know!"

Ichigo tackled Rukia and tried to get her to tell him what she wanted to ask. "Tell me!" He said. "I forgot now." Rukia said as Ichigo fell over.


	2. Rukia's Confession

It was around 11 pm. Rukia and Ichigo sat on the rooftop looking at the stars. "So what made you decide to return?" Ichigo asked her. "Well, if you really want to know, it's because I wanted to return to a certain someone that's special to me." Rukia said as she looked over at Ichigo. "Well, whoever that certain someone is, I'm certain that they're sure happy that you've returned because I know I'm glad that you came back." Ichigo said. "That's all that I wanted." Rukia thought.

"Ichigo," Rukia said.

"Yeah?"

"What am I to you? Do I seem like a sister to you?"

"Well, it's a little embarrasing because I don't think that you'll see me as the same way."

"It can't be as embarrasing as how I see you."

"Well, how do you see me."

"I asked you first."

"Well, I asked second."

"Fine, if you really want to know, the truth is, that I've been in love with you for a while. Ever since I satyed in the Soul Society, you're all I've ever thought about."

"Wow."

"See, I told you it was embarrasing."

"No, because the truth is, that I haven't stopped thinking about you since you left either. Every single day, I've wished that you would return. I found that I hated the Soul Society because it took you away from me." He told her.

"Ichigo, I made a terrible decision when I decided to stay with the Soul Society." Rukia said to him.

"That's ok, it's in the past, all that matters now is that you're here with me, and that you're here to stay." Ichigo said as he stared into Rukia's eyes. He put his arm around her and embraced her.

"Ichigo..."

Ichigo leaned in to kiss her when all of a sudden, they heard "ICHIGO!!!! HAVE YOU SEEN MY GROCERIES?! I THINK I LEFT THEM HERE!!!"

"I'm going to murder Orihime!!!!" Ichigo thought as she climbed to the roof. "NO!!!! I HAVEN'T SEEN YOUR STINKIN GROCERIES!!! GO HOME ORIHIME!!!" He said.

"Hm? HEY!!! RUKIA'S HERE! HEY RUKIA!!!! WHAT'S UP????" She said to her. "Ummm, hi, Orihime." She said. "Orihime, don't you have someplace you need to be?" Ichigo asked. "OH! YOU'RE RIGHT! I HAVE TO GO!!! BYE YOU TWO!!!" Orihime said as she climbed down.

"I really don't like her." They both said.


	3. You'll never be alone

The next morning, Rukia's eyes opened as she found herself with strong, loving arms wrapped around her. She looked over and saw Ichigo's face next to hers. "

His arms are so strong and loving. If only we could stay like this forever." She thought.

"Good morning sleepy head." She heard his sweet, tender, caring voice say.

"Good morning." She told him as she gazed into his chocolate colored eyes.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked her.

"Yeah, except for the fact that we're still on the roof." She said

"Oh, I kind of forgot about that part." He said.

Rukia got up and Ichigo followed her as they both walked to the edge of the roof. Rukia's foot slipped on the slippery roof and she was about to fall off, when all of a sudden, she felt a strong arm catch her.

Rukia looked up and saw Ichigo staring back at her. "Careful there, next time I might not be able to catch you so quick."

He told her. "Mhmm." She agreed as she nodded her head and grabbed ahold of the ladder and climbed down the side of the house.

Ichigo followed her and then Rukia stepped onto the ground.

"KUICHIKI-SANNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!! WAKEY WAKEY!!!!!" A voice yelled as it pierced through her eardrum.

"GAH!!!!!! WHAT THE HELL INOUE?! ARE YOU TRYING TO GIVE ME A HEARTATTACK?!" Rukia asked Orihime.

"Orihime? Have you been here all night?!" Ichigo asked.

"Hehehe... no." Orihime lyed as she put one hand behind her head.

"You have been here all night haven't you?" Rukia asked.

"Pretty much." She said with her head down in shame.

"Well, you need to go home and get some sleep." Ichigo said.

"Ok Ichigo!!! See you later!

Bye Kuchiki!!!" Orihime said. She ran off into the sunlight screaming something about pigs in pants and UFOs.

"Does she always do that now?" Rukia asked.

"Do what?"

"Pop up out of nowhere."

"Yeah. Pretty much."

"Ok, just double checking."

Ichigo opened the door to his house and walked in, with Rukia following him.

"So, Rukia, how was your time in the Soul Society?" Ichigo asked her.

"I hated it. It kept me away from you, so I found that I couldn't bear to be away from you any longer. So I had to return and see you again. I had to stay and be with you." Rukia told him.

"Well, no matter what the reason was, I'm just glad you're back here with me." He told her.

"No matter what, I'll always be with you. Even if you leave." He added.

"How so?" Rukia asked.

"Well, if you believe that two people are destined to be with each other, even where the two people are apart, you can sense that person's presence with you and you'll never be alone." Ichigo explained.

"Even when the two people are apart?" Rukia asked as she looked up at him.

"Even when they're apart." He smiled as he told her.

"Hey Ichigo?" Rukia said.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked

"Do you think that we just met by coincidence? Or do you think there was a specific reason?"

"Well, I think there was a specific reason."

"Why do you think we met?"

"I think that we were meant to be together."

Rukia looked up at Ichigo and smiled.

"I'm glad you feel that way." Ichigo grabbed Rukia's wrist and pulled her closely to him and embraced her.

"Rukia, I swear, if I have to follow you in death, I'll never leave you again. ever. You'll never be alone." He told Rukia softly.

"Ichigo..."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as they shared a warm, loving embrace for a long time.


End file.
